Surprising Facts About Grandparents

We reveal how today's grandparents are defying stereotypes.

By From the Editors

Fact: Today, there are 70 million grandparents in the nation.

Grandparents represent one-third of the population with 1.7 million new grandparents added to the ranks every year.

Grandparents lead 37% of all U.S. households in this country — that's 44 million households nationwide. And that number is increasing at twice the average annual rate of U.S. households overall — with the number to hit 50 million by 2015.

Fact: Grandparents love being grandparents.

72% think being a grandparent is the single most important and satisfying thing in their life

63% say they can do a better job caring for grandchildren than they did with their own

68% think being a grandparent brings them closer to their adult children

90% enjoy talking about their grandkids to just about everyone

Fact: they are younger than ever before.

43% became grandparents in their fifties, 37% in their forties, with the average age of grandparents in this country at 48.

By 2010, more than 50% of the grandparent population will be baby boomers — by 2015, it will increase to nearly 60%.

Fact: Grandparents are active.

43% exercise or play sports

28% volunteer on a regular basis

18% dance

Fact: they are intellectually curious.

71% say reading is one of their favorite activities

86% read a newspaper in print or online

Fact: Grandparents are wired.

75% are online

70% use search engines to find information

63% shop online

30% instant message

56% share photos online

46% bank online

45% are on social networks like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Yahoo! Groups

Fact: Grandparents are in the workforce.

60% still have a full-time or part-time job

23% have started their own business

Fact: they are becoming more modern.

33% have been married more than once

38% report having sex at least twice a week

10% have a tattoo

15% have demonstrated for a cause

17% have attended a rally

7% have used recreational drugs

6% have started a blog

3% have run a marathon

2% have gone skydiving

Fact: Grandparents have money.

They control 75% of the wealth in this country.

They have the highest average net worth of any other age group ($254,000).

By 2010, they will earn the highest average income.

They spend $2 trillion every year on consumer goods and services.

55% no longer carry a mortgage

Fact: they are generous with money and time.

They make 45% of the nation’s cash contributions to nonprofit organizations.

They account for 42% of all consumer spending on gifts.

15% have volunteered at a shelter

Fact: they support their adult children and grandchildren financially.

They spend $52 billion every year on their grandkids alone.

They spend $32 billion on education-related costs.

62% have provided financial support to their adult children and grandchildren in the last 12 months:

23% on daycare

40% on housing (mortgage or rent)

21% on education

70% on cash for day-to-day expenses

24% on health care

Fact: Grandparents just want to have fun.

They spend $100 billion each year on entertainment.

They spend $77 billion each year on travel.

Fact: they like to spend time with their grandkids.

60% live close to their grandchildren

46% wish they could live even closer

70% see the kids at least once a week

66% travel with their grandkids

81% have their grandkids for part or all of their summer vacation

55% play video games with their grandchildren

Fact: Grandparents take care of their grandkids.

72% take care of their grandchildren on a regular basis

13% are primary caregivers

92% have changed their grandchild's diaper

64% accompany their adult children or grandchildren to the doctor

86% bake cookies for their family

Fact: Many Grandparents live under the same roof as their grandkids.

6.2 million — or 5.3% of all U.S. households — are now multigenerational — up from 5 million in 2000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau Current Population Survey.